Lighting the shop - what is working for me
My basement workshop started with the standard porcelain ceiling fixtures each with a 40W incandescent bulb, I added the inexpensive fluorescents across the shop, that gave me sufficient lighting to sweep the floors but not much else.
So at each station that needed help I added an incandescent work light. The first ones I added were old desktop lamps with articulating arms. These were OK for some activities, like the table saw, sharpening, buffing, but didn't work well for me at the lathe. The quality of the light was much better but I am also a little uncomfortable with these lights around anything that is spinning. The vibration helps the light move, and I am always concerned that the spinning tool will come in contact with the glass bulb. There is also the danger that the arm will fall to the point where the bulb is in contact with a rag, a pile of shavings, or a cloth buffing wheel. I am very careful.
I then picked up a used dental exam light. This is the best thing I did. The light hangs from the ceiling and can be positioned to give light wherever I need it, including on the inside of a bowl or vessel. The lights run hot inside their enclosure, but are cool enough outside and have a plastic shield that keeps dust and shavings away from the bulb. I liked this solution well enough so I just purchased two more used lights on eBay last night. The quality of the light feels much better than either the inexpensive flourescent or the stock incandescent.
These lights are flexible but are permanently attached. I needed something I could move when turning an awkward piece, when the piece needs lighting from the side or bottom; Or even when working on another tool in the shop. I purchase a 20W halogen task lamp with magnetic base from Enco. Nice light, it adheres to the headstock or ways of the lathe, and to just about any other cast iron tool in the shop. The light is bright enough to use to light a machine's work area, and the low wattage seems to not generate the heat that I had previously associated with these types of lamps. The bulb is sealed inside a small enclosure that stays cool to the touch.
That's what I have that is working for me. My next step is to upgrade the fluorescents. I learned from my dentist that they use special high output -daylight emulation fourescents. I am sure they are pricey compared to what I bought from HD. but they last forever. The lighting in a dentist office has to be right on so they can do cosmetic work, so these have to be a pretty good choice.
It is a certain truth that good lighting is the cause of most fine scratches and tiny tool marks, so be careful.
Jeff
